Rusty Scripts
by tetsuryu
Summary: "There are people before me I want to protect! No... that I will protect! That's my meaning to live!" One-shot/Drabble Collection for Gajevy Week 2015
1. Day 1: Cooking

**Summary: **Who knew cooking was also a science?

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

_Gajevy Week Day 1: Cooking_

**_The Properties of Iron_**

"Levy, are you trying to burn the kitchen down again?"

With a jump, Levy whips her head around almost too quickly, her expression a mix of shock and guilt. Pantherlily shakes his head lightly at her slightly comical appearance – a cook book in one hand and a suspicious bottle of seasoning in another, with an apron in her favourite shade of orange carefully covering the front an oversized shirt. Lily was sure he'd seen the black t-shirt somewhere in his flatmate's wardrobe, but he wasn't going to point it out and embarrass the poor girl even more.

"Oh, Lily, it's just you…" Levy breathed, the tension visibly bleeding out of her shoulders as she turned back to the stove. "What are you saying? I've never even burned the kitchen down before!"

The exceed only smiled knowingly as he flew onto the kitchen countertop, watching as his partner's girlfriend expertly adds an adequate serving of soya sauce into the pan of rice. Tilting his head in confusion, Lily could only watch as Levy mixes the fried rice carefully. "I was told by a certain dragon slayer that your cooking was horrifying, and that, I quote 'the whole damn kitchen was gonna explode', but…"

The Solid Script mage blushed at his words, hurriedly sprinkling a pinch of salt into her cooking. "Gajeel's just overreacting! It's just that the one time I tried to cook for him, the food accidentally caught fire…"

"…accidentally caught fire?" Lily asks skeptically. Levy's blush only darkens as she flicks the stove off and reaches for an empty plate, lifting the pan and emptying her masterpiece. The duo head out into the dining room, and Levy gently places the dish in front of the waiting exceed. "This smells delicious."

With wide eyes screaming anticipation and excitement, she quickly hands him a spoon and watches as he takes the first bite.

Accompanying the explosion of flavor in his mouth, Lily whips a thumbs up in response, eyes shining with content. "It tastes delicious, too! You're such a great chef Levy, I don't know how Gajeel could tell me otherwise."

"Talkin' shit bout me again, Lily?"

Both exceed and human look to see said dragon slayer entering the kitchen, his wild, long hair kept out of his face with a homemade orange headband and his outfit comprising of a metal-studded jacket and dark jeans, casually munching on a piece of iron. He nods appreciatively as he notices Levy's state of dress, a smirk forming on his tanned face at the familiar black shirt that was oversized on her small body.

"Gajeel!" Levy gasps, her actions a blur but her embarrassment apparent as she tries to cover up her previous activities, reaching for the plate of fried rice.

But Gajeel was one step ahead of her as usual, a spoonful of rice already on its way into his mouth. The young chef could only gulp as she watched him chew and swallow, his thoughtful expression serving to raise her nervousness.

"This is really good," he finally comments, tossing the spoon back onto the plate. "Ya made this, Lily?"

"As a matter of fact," said exceed grins, looking between the two mages mischievously. "I did not. It was your beloved Shrimp who made it."

Gajeel's gaze immediately shifts to the shy bluenette, disbelief and suspicion written on his face. He eyes the dish in front of him before snapping to look at his girlfriend again, his glaring burning holes into her downturned head.

"…no way."

"Yes way," Lily smirks.

"No way in hell did Shrimp make that! She ain't supposed to be good at cooking!"

"I think the evidence is speaking for itself, Gajeel."

"Shut-"

"Actually!" Levy all but shouts over the quarrelling, the look in her eyes a determined one as she stares into Gajeel's own ruby irises. "Actually, I'm a decent chef, and the only reason I failed at cooking for Gajeel was because I couldn't find any recipes that included iron in their dishes!"

"…What?" the iron mage intelligently splutters, but Levy ignores his confusion and the burning in her cheeks and ploughs on.

"Valentine's Day is coming, and I wanted to do something special," she confessed, her hands unconsciously forming small fists by her side. "I searched _everywhere_ for recipes, but none of them ever explained how to cook iron, so I took it upon myself to experiment... but… but it was a disaster…"

"And ya almost destroyed my kitchen." Gajeel's gaze softens as he understood her sincerity, a hand coming to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. "Look, there ain't any fancy 'recipes' for iron, Shrimp. C'mon, I'll teach ya."

Lily's grin only widened as he realised that both of them had long forgotten about his existence, caught in their own bubble of each other as the headed into the kitchen.

"Iron's gonna rust if ya expose it to oxygen, ya know."

"I'm not dumb Gajeel, I know that!"

"I'm ain't the one cooking up infernos."

"Stop talking about that! Stupid Gajeel! And where did you even learn that word…"

The small exceed chuckles as the kitchen door slams shut and the couple's bickering fades, picking up the plate and the spoon and hopping off of the dining table. Taking one last look at the closed door, Lily could only give himself a pat on the back for another successful matchmaking run, before joyfully padding out of the house to continue his meal in peace.


	2. Day 2: Nursing

**Summary: **If he were a hundred percent honest, as he usually was, Gajeel would proclaim himself to be he was the best nurse in history.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

_Day 2: Nursing_

**_100% honesty_**

"Gajeel… I'm going to cut you up… and feed you to the dragons."

"I don't think that's possible, Shorty," Gajeel sighed, pressing a cool towel to the bluenette's forehead. "Dragons ain't cannibals."

"How would you… know that! Cannibalism… is recorded in more than… 1500 species!" 'Shorty' grumbles, her eyes shut tightly and her thin eyebrows pulled into a frown. "And… and you're not even a dragon... you human scu…"

"Okay, that's enough talking for you, Levy." With a roll of his eyes, Gajeel pulls the blanket up higher, successfully wrapping Levy up in the warmth of the thick covers. He picked up the damp towel laying across her forehead and dipped it into the bowl of water as he'd been instructed, wringing it before placing it back onto her heated skin. He gently pushed the stray strands of hair away from her face, smoothing them back so that they wouldn't get caught on the towel.

Levy only groaned and mumbled more incoherent words that even the dragon slayer's sensitive ears found hard to pick up, before finally relaxing and falling asleep to Gajeel's light stroking of her head.

Releasing a relieved breath, the iron mage could finally feel some sort of peace in his surroundings, tiredly slumping onto the chair beside the bed and blankly staring at Levy's sleeping figure.

Who knew a sick Levy was a grumpy Levy? Gajeel had definitely not expected to become Levy's verbal punching bag when the small script mage came down with a fever after catching a cold from an overnight mission. It had somehow become his sole responsibility to take care of the sick female, his supposedly trustworthy partner Lily being the first to declare that he had training up in the mountains.

Gajeel had never taken care of anyone other than himself before – having been left alone for most of his life – and he couldn't believe he had been entrusted to deal with nursing the guild's ball of sunshine back to health.

If he were a hundred percent honest, as he usually was, Gajeel would bet everything he had on the fact that the guild members had planned this. They probably already knew just how mean Levy was when she was ill and disoriented, and decided to throw the iron dragon slayer onto taking care of her just because they lived together. And they were a couple.

All personal frustration aside, however, he definitely wished that she would recover soon, so that he could see her beautiful, kind smile once again. Heaving another sigh, Gajeel rose from his seat to gently slip out of the room, being careful not to wake the princess from her slumber. He hoped he was doing okay at the whole 'nursing' thing, but it was really hard to tell from the amount of threats the once kind-hearted script mage had been spewing.

But just as he was contemplating his next move, he caught a whiff of a familiar flowery scent heading towards the house. Stomping over to the door and flinging it open, surprising the guest who had her hand poised to knock, he confirmed his guess of her identity, and he wordlessly stepped aside to let her in.

"Hey Gajeel, how's Levy doing?" the blonde asked, making a beeline for the kitchen and placing the bag she was carrying onto the counter. "Is she feeling better?"

"I wouldn't know, she's been cussing me out ever since we got home."

"That bad?"

"You'd run out crying, Blondie." Lucy only winced at the honesty in Gajeel's voice, walking over to the dining table and grabbing a seat. She had heard lots from the guild members about Levy's extreme mood swings when she was sick, but from the bags building under Gajeel's eyes, she suspected that even the rumours couldn't do the bookworm justice.

"Well, I was worried about leaving you to take care of her alone, so I brought some homemade soup. I kept it in an insulating soup mug, so it should still be hot."

"You're a life saver!" Gajeel cried, peeking into the paper bag curiously. "I ain't got any idea on how to take care of a sick Shrimp."

"I figured you'd say that. Just make sure to feed her the medicine we gave you after her meal, and change the towel on her forehead every so often – right when it's heating up. And-"

_"__Gajeel!"_ The shrill call from the bedroom had both mages jumping in shock, turning their heads to the source of the sound in wonder. Shrugging as he met eyes with Lucy, Gajeel only picked himself up and ambled towards the call, his shoulders slumped in defeat and lethargy.

"I think I should go," Lucy hurriedly announced. "She sounds really angry… I'll come back later, to deliver more food."

Waving a hand behind him absentmindedly, he didn't bother turning as Lucy saw herself out, knowing that she'd be particular enough to lock the doors anyway.

"Good luck!" Lucy shouted as she left, "you'll need it!"

Taking a deep breath, Gajeel twisted the doorknob again, ready to engage in another round of verbal fighting he could not hope to win. He could feel some sort of relief, however, that she was still in the position he found her in, wrapped up tightly in the blankets.

"Gajeel… you're not… doing a very good job… at nursing…" Levy mumbled, her eyes finally opening to reveal the rich hazelnut that tugged at his heartstrings.

Running a hand through his wild dark mane, Gajeel could only blink helplessly at the bluenette, uncertain of what to do. "Sorry Shrimp, ya know I ain't good at these things. Just tell me what to do."

He could swear she rolled her eyes at his answer, but she buried her head into the blankets as she did so, avoiding his piercing stare. She seemed to hesitate as her half-lidded eyes gazed blankly at the ceiling, before she lifted the covers and attempted to focus on him.

"Gajeel… these blankets are too hot…" Sighing, he strode over and carefully removed the blankets from her, pushing them to the foot of the bed. "But if you do that… it's too cold… Stupid Gajeel…"

A smirk suddenly lighting up his face, Gajeel could only praise himself for the idea, as he clambered into the bed beside her, pulling her small body into his larger frame. Due to his element, he was usually cool to the touch, but warm enough that Levy immediately snuggled into his embrace, a grin spreading across her face.

"You're just the right temperature… Gajeel…" Levy hummed, her voice seemingly a tad brighter and clearer.

"Gihi… Ya ain't even that sick, are ya Shrimp?"

"Shut up Gajeel, I'm trying to go to sleep."

If he were a hundred percent honest, as he usually was, Gajeel would say that he was being deceived and that Levy was taking advantage of the situation to exploit him. But he was okay with that, because he'd do what it took for his Shorty to recover.

* * *

_fairyscribe . tumblr . com_


	3. Day 3: Lipstick

**Summary: **Lily is a ladies man, but Gajeel is not.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

_Day 3: Lipstick_

**_bombshell_**

"What. Is that."

"…Lipstick?"

"I know that, I ain't dumb! But why is it _black_?"

"What's wrong with black?"

Gajeel seemed to be scruntinising her lips, making Levy shift uncomfortably. "It's pretty weird, if ya ask me."

Levy glared. "I can wear whatever colour lipstick I want, Gajeel!"

"Calm down Shrimp, 'm just being honest," Gajeel shrugged, leaning back on the wooden seat.

"Well you have no tact, stupid Gajeel!" she huffed, fighting the steady reddening of her cheeks. Levy crossed her arms and frowned at the nonchalant man in front of her, before standing up and storming out of the guild.

Falling into a defeated slump, the iron dragon slayer could only watch her retreating figure, before turning back to his partner who had been silently observing on the sidelines. Meeting his partner's disapproving gaze, Gajeel could only grunt in displeasure. "Okay, okay, tell me what I did wrong this time, Lily."

"My guess is, she only used black lipstick because she thought you would like it," Lily calmly explains, reaching a paw to grab the cup of kiwi juice Kinana had brought over. "Thank you, Kinana. As I was saying, Gajeel, black _is_ your favourite colour after all. She's just trying to match you, is all."

Gajeel scratched the back of his neck and stared. "But… why on the lips?"

Lily only blinked at his innocent question, choosing to focus on his kiwi juice instead. "You know Levy isn't particularly good or interested in make-up and beauty, but she's putting in an effort to match your whole… dark, _brooding_ image."

"..."

"This is precisely why she said you have no tact, Gajeel. Even if you thought it was weird, you didn't have to embarrass her like that."

Lifting his feet and crossing them on the table, his metal studded eyebrows only seemed to pull down even more in his confusion. "I don't get what's the big deal, I ain't tryin' to embarrass her or anythin'. I wouldn't do that to her, ya know that."

"Sometimes you just have to watch what you say."

"How do I watch… never mind, I ain't interested in this shit." The atmosphere in the guild was way too suffocating and frustrating for Gajeel, who could almost physically feel the attention of the guild members on him after the whole fiasco. Grunting once more, he rose from his seat and ambled out the door, his aura one of confusedness and the usual annoyance.

"They're hopeless." Lily shook his head, lightly sipping on his delicious drink. "I think it's time to take things into my own ha- uh, paws." He nodded, wings sprouting from his back as his flew towards to bar. "Mirajane, do you happen to have…"

* * *

"Here's to not messin' up today, Lil'" Gajeel smirked, canines flashing as he knocked his tankard with Lily's glass of kiwi juice.

Lily sighed. "I don't think alcohol first thing in the morning is going to help you with that."

"I ain't Alberona! This is just a soft drink or somethin'. The Demon said 'twas on the house," he told him, raising his tankard in Mirajane's direction as thanks.

"Of course…" Lily mused, watching as Mirajane's smile seemed to widen a tad too much at Gajeel's good mood. "Of course she wouldn't sabotage our plan…"

"What did ya say?"

"Nothing, nothing."

It was then the guild doors burst open to welcome the next arrival, and Gajeel couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness as the familiar scent of old tomes hit his nostrils. There was something off about that scent however, as it was masked with a strong, musky almost _sensual_ perfume, and the iron mage could only gulp as he shifted uneasily and how much it appealed to his strong olfactory system.

Preparing his heart, Gajeel took a deep breath and did a run through of his apology in his mind, before he finally felt ready face the source of the alluring scent.

Then he turned. And he saw her. And everything changed.

Suddenly everything seemed to make sense even for a one-track mind like his, and he understood just _why_ she had gone through the trouble of applying black _lip_stick.

Because today she switched up the colours, and instead went for a true crimson shade that seemed to match Gajeel's own ruby eyes.

Her red lips curved up into a shy smile as their eyes met, and for the first time Gajeel noticed what make-up truly looked like on a girl.

Levy's eyes were lined with a thin layer of black, accentuated by the brown eyeshadow that aligned with the cat eye. Her eyelashes were curled and defined, with her naturally rosy cheeks amplified by the thin layer of blush. To make things worse, she was wearing an outfit reminiscent of that she used to wear when they first met, a black vest opened in the middle to reveal a bralet, with long, black skinny jeans.

It was the first time Gajeel ever thought her to be _sexy_.

He was out of his chair before Levy could even blink, and he easily lifted her up and brought them out from where she had just entered.

"Gajeel, what are you doing! Put me down!"

Gently lowering her down in an alleyway not far away from the guild, Gajeel could only feel increasingly disoriented as he stared at the deep red. Shaking his head to snap out of his daze, he instead decided to focus on her big, chestnut eyes, squinting as he attempted to channel his vision.

"Look Shrimp, 'm sorry about what I said yesterday." He started off, readying himself against a opponent almost half his size.

Surprisingly, the bluenette seemed to shy away from his incinerating gaze, her cheeks burning pink whether in response to his words or his stare, he wasn't sure, but Gajeel could barely believe that she could look so _adorable_ even though she was dressed to be on the other end of the spectrum.

"Don't worry about it Gajeel, I was too sensitive as well. I'd like to thank you, though, because…" she breathed in. "Because I know now that I should dress up for myself, and not for you or anyone else."

She furrowed her brows in determination and glared up at him defiantly, her hands resting on her hips. The supposedly dangerous dragon slayer could only eye the short girl in front of him, feeling overwhelmed by her confidence despite his size and reputation.

"Ya better not do it for anyone else, _Levy_." He growled lowly, his arms reaching around her waist instinctively and all but slamming her light body against his. Levy's eyes widened just a fraction at both his actions and the rare call of her name, and she struggled to remain a calm façade despite both of them knowing that her heart rate had picked up in anticipation.

The predatory glare Gajeel had unknowingly fixed on her crimson lips had Levy simpering, and she took the initiative to loop her arms around his thick neck and pushing her full, parted lips against his pale ones.

The response was immediate and vigorous, and she replied to his enthusiasm by shoving him with her body, causing him to slam up against the opposite wall, all the while never breaking the kiss. Gajeel's hand slid up her bare waist, drawing circles on her ribcage and eliciting a delighted hum, while she tugged on his wild raven hair.

Levy smirked into the rough kiss, her tongue darting out to lick at her boyfriend's bottom lip, before she lightly sank her teeth into the soft flesh. Her amusement was a smug one as his eyes instantly flung open and he pulled away, fierce garnet irises meeting her teasing chestnut hue.

Gajeel rubbed a hand across his lips and stared at the resulting red stain on his hand, his mouth curling into a wide grin. Flicking his gaze from her eyes to her now smudged lipstick, he could only snicker in appreciation.

"Gihi, I think I'll have to change my favourite colour."


	4. Day 4: Daydream

**Summary: _daydream_** (n); a series of pleasant thoughts that _distract one's attention from the present._

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

_Day 4: Daydream_

_**trance**_

He was always staring out the window.

No matter what time of the day it was, or what class they were having, his line of sight was permanently fixated on the outside world, his studded face unreadable. He was a puzzle not only to her but to the class as well, his menacing appearance automatically putting him at a distance with the rest of the school.

But Levy had always been curious about him. Of the genres of fiction she enjoyed, mystery was always her favourite, and it was no surprise that she had naturally been drawn to the real-life mystery in front of her.

It wasn't that she was easily distracted in class, definitely not; she had always been considered the most hardworking student, the result of her concentration in class reflecting in her above average grades. Despite her interest in the lessons, she couldn't help but watch him out of the corner of her eye, trying to catch any movement from his still figure. There was none.

Even the teachers had long since given up on attracting his attention towards studying – no amount of yelling or threatening would work, and apparently calling his parents didn't, either. The teachers found no need to pull him out of his zoned out state as time passed, however, as his maintained a constant passing grade regardless of his distracted state of mind.

Levy had always wanted to speak to him, to get to know him. She had so many questions she wanted to ask – _What are you always looking at? Aren't you bored staring out the window all the time? Doesn't your neck hurt? How do you maintain your grades? Are you really an orphan?_ – but she could never muster up the courage to. In her head, she had already asked him all these questions thousands of times, the various simulations always resulting in the different answers, each vastly changing the story behind his perplexing character. However-

"Ms McGarden!"

The loud call of her name snapped her out of her thoughts, and she stared wide-eyed at the teacher who had called her name, her surprise eliciting giggles from her classmates.

"Levy, there are other times for daydreaming."

Her tall, skinny teacher narrowed her wrinkled eyes at the bluenette, peering at her through the classes perched on her narrow nose. Fighting the embarrassment apparent on her cheeks, Levy nodded shyly.

"Sorry miss…"

"As I was saying, we will be doing our first group project of the year. And due to my leniency, I will allow you to pair up. I'll give you 2 minutes."

However, Levy was one that always believed in fate and fortune, and when she knew he wouldn't have a partner for the project and when the fortune cookie she had that day told her _'Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point'_, she decided that it was time to approach the school's infamous outcast and find out about his life for a change.

"Um, hey…" Levy awkwardly began, raising a hesitant hand.

His head whipped around as he sensed her hovering over his table, his garnet eyes narrowing as he eyed her. "Ya gotta speak louder," was his gruff reply.

Levy was taken aback but his deep voice, but had to admit that it was appealing to her ears. Squaring her shoulders, she cleared her throat and started again.

"Would you like to partner up with me for the project?"

"Ya can't be serious…" He frowned, his studded eyebrows pulling downwards.

Puffing out her cheeks, Levy pulled the adjacent chair up to his table and sat herself down. "I'm Levy."

"I ain't gonna-"

"Perfect! Everyone has a partner, even Gajeel!" the teacher mused. Her single sentence was sufficient to pull the attention of the class onto the two, and the bluenette kept her gaze focused on the table in front of her as her cheeks began to burn. "Now, let's get on with it, chop chop!"

Sighing in relief as everyone else went to work, Levy could finally get a good look at her partner's face for the first time.

Although his piercings were already widely known throughout the school, they seemed even more menacing up close, and she knew she would be dizzy trying to count them all – she even wondered if he had piercings aside from his face and arms, but she quickly pushed that thought away before it could escalate.

"Yer a funny one, Shorty." He grunted, his ruby eyes burning into her hazelnut irises.

"Shorty?!" she asked incredulously. The way he called her that seemed to be way too familiar sounding to be his first time, and she wondered if he had ever thought of her using that nickname.

He blatantly ignored her question despite the tips of his ears tinging pink, and he leant back against the chair slowly. "Why'd ya even want to work with me? I bet yer little friends are scared of me."

"I'm not scared of you," she bit her lip. "I'm just… curious about you, Gajeel."

His studded brows immediately pulled down at her mentioning of his name, and for a moment even Levy feared that she had been too casual with someone she was speaking to for the first time ever.

But then he laughed. It was just a light snicker, but she knew she had never heard a laugh like that before. It was a strange laugh, comprised of two syllables, 'gi' and 'hi, and it was a distinctively higher pitch than his usual tone of voice.

"What do ya wanna know?" He asked, regarding her calmly.

Her excitement rose at his invitation for her questions, the millions of queries she had flashing through her mind too fast for her to grasp even one to ask. Her eyes zeroed in on the metal decorating his face, her first question tumbling out of her mouth before she could even filter it.

"How many piercings do you have?" She blurted, big eyes staring at him with so much curiousity in them that he couldn't help but laugh again, the short, two-word laughter.

"Why don't ya find out for yerself?" he smirked.

Levy's eyes widened at his implied flirting, her cheeks unknowingly beginning to burn. Her mouth opened and closed in a lack of words to say, despite her usual eloquence at the area of language.

"Relax, Shorty," he grinned, revealing his unusually sharp canines.

"Again with the nickname…"

Gajeel only nonchalantly waved her accusation away, turning to look out the window once more.

"Ah! That's it!" she cried, causing him to glance over, his slight curiousity seeping through his crimson gaze. "Why do you always look out the window? What is it that you see?"

He raised a studded brow at her question, a rare smile taking over his features.

"I ain't lookin' at anything," he says, looking out the window again. "I dream."

She stared. "What…?"

"Yer the smart one, don't ya know what dreamin' is?"

"I- I do, but… what do you dream of?"

"Everything. Everything and anything. I've been lookin' after myself since I can remember. There ain't no one to to give me good life, so I gotta dream of it myself."

Levy could only look at him with a light frown on her face. Despite his nonchalant tone, she couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness overwhelm her at his words.

"Sometimes I dream of flyin', too." He says, his thoughts lost as he stares at the blue sky. "Like a dragon, ya know? Like a big, strong dragon. Cause ain't no one dares to pick on dragons."

"Dragons are really majestic," she agreed, the corners of her pink lips curling up into a small smile.

The two quickly fell into a light conversation, being surprisingly at ease with their banter despite only having just met.

"Are ya really interested in what I'm sayin', Shorty? People don't usually talk to me, ya know." Gajeel smirks, as their chatter slowed to a comfortable silence.

"You're actually pretty fun to talk to, you know?" Levy laughs, crossing her legs unconsciously.

"Gihi, Shorty, ye're not so bad yerself."

She smiled at the bond that they had formed in the short period of time, certain that it was the start of something more, and she was glad that she can taken to initiative to get to know the mysterious Gajeel Redfox. However-

"Ms McGarden!"

The loud call of her name snapped her out of her thoughts, and she stared wide-eyed at the teacher who had called her name, her surprise eliciting giggles from her classmates.

"Ms McGarden, there are other times for daydreaming."


	5. Day 5: Metallicana

**Summary: **He'd always seen the silver lining in the clouds, but he could deceive himself no longer.

**Disclaimer: **Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

_Day 5: Metallicana_

_**greyscale**_

The sky had never seemed so blue.

The clouds were white and fluffy and peaceful, a type of peace that left a bitter taste in his mouth. It had only been a few days since he lost him, but 'a few days' had never felt so long.

Gajeel watched the wide blue sky glide over the landscape, his feelings a tornado tormenting him but his thoughts remaining clear on a single subject. He knew that no matter how hard he peered at the vast sky, he would not be able to find the streak of silver that represented the first ever form of love he had ever felt, despite how unorthodox its presentation was.

His father was truly gone now, and no amount of wishing could bring him back.

He smelt her soothing scent before he heard her climbing the side ladder, and knew that she was standing right behind him, her heart beating calmly and reassuringly.

"Gajeel…" she started, walking up and sitting next to him on the roof, her skinny arms just brushing his own muscular ones.

"…I always imagined him in the sky, you know," Gajeel mused, his crimson eyes boring into the white that decorated the blue. "I knew I'd find 'im one day, the pile of old metal flyin' through the sky."

Levy regarded him with sympathy shining in her eyes, knowing that despite his tough appearance he was mourning mess inside. She knew he was on the verge of tears, but couldn't categorise his feelings enough to make them fall.

"I knew he ain't dead, so I'd comfort myself by imagining the big junk filling up the sky and spittin' iron at me, tellin' me to train harder, tellin' me to quit bein' a weak brat. But now…"

His studded brows creased at the salty substance forming in his eyes, and he found his throat all choked up and unable to produce a sound. Levy could feel her own tears begin to swirl in her big eyes, the pain on his face so raw that she could feel it stabbing through her own heart. She kept silent as he tried to gather himself, his frown only pulling deeper as he struggled.

"But now… But now he's really… g… _gone_, you know? He ain't around anymore and I- and I can't even try ta imagine him cause I _know_ he ain't comin' back."

He could no longer hold back the tears as they rolled down his cheeks, each teardrop expressing the pain that drove stakes into his chest. Grief was a horrible thing, he realised. He had never felt so much grief and agony in his life, and he could almost _feel_ the sharp metal digging into his human heart.

"A-and there was so… so much I wanted to tell that… o-old chunk of metal…"

"Gajeel…" Levy whispered, her arms automatically circling around his midsection as he sobbed, a large hand covering his metal studded face. "I know that you're devastated but… but I'm sure he is proud of you."

The tears only seemed to increase at her words, despite his fervent attempts to stop himself from crying. But despite how uncharacteristic his current behaviour was, she knew that he was absolutely genuine in his feelings.

"He was inside you all along, remember?" she smiled, grabbing his wrist to pull his hand away, before reaching out and brushing his tears from his cheeks. "He saw you grow, saw your mistakes, and saw you making _amends_. He would be so proud of the man you've become, Gajeel."

"…Ya think?"

"Of course! You've changed so much, Gajeel. You're now a man that cares for the people around him and is willing to sacrifice himself for them, and we all see that, your father included."

His eyes shot open and garnet irises looked deep into the rich hazel, the warmth and empathy radiating in them enough to put a small grin on his face.

Gajeel chuckled lightly, the sound a broken one due to his thick throat, but he ignored it. "You're right, Lev. He'd beat me up for all the shit things and he'd beat me up even more for the good things, sayin' it's too human and too weak for his dumb taste. And then he'll say I did good on _some_ things but the old metal probably means everythin'."

Levy offered a light laughter, feeling a little more reassured as he wrapped an arm around her small frame, holding her tightly against him. "You're really strong, Gajeel. In more ways than one." Her pink lips curled upwards slightly. "You've done good."

The two shared a warm glance, their feelings easily communicated through the small smiles on their faces.

"My old man would've liked you, Levy." He grinned, the canine peaking through his lips a reminder of his father.

The bluenette blushed at his words, searching his ruby eyes. "Would he?"

"'Course he would. Yer amazin'," he told her, leaning down to touch his nose to hers. "And I like you, so he'd like you. Probably say somethin' stupid bout hatchlings or somethin'."

"Gajeel!" she cried, appalled, pushing against his chest but his firm hold on her preventing her from successfully shoving him away.

Gajeel broke out into a loud laughter at this, his unique laughter reverberating through his chest. Despite his crude language, Levy couldn't help but grin at his happiness, glad that she had somehow managed to elevate his mood.

"Oh, he _definitely_ would've liked ya, Shorty."

"Ugh, Lev was so much better." He only responded with more chortling, his laughter increasing in volume. "Stop laughing, Gajeel!"

"Sorry Shrimp," he chortled, finding amusement in her light irritation. He tightened his grip around her and pulled her even closer against his body, relishing in the warmth she provided for his cold soul as she pressed her cheek against his chest.

"I wish there was more time," Levy hummed. "I wanted to properly meet him."

"Me too, Levy, me too..."

The two refocused their line of sight at the clear, blue, sky, the vastness feeling less empty than it had before. The corners of Gajeel's lips twisted upwards slowly, as his envisioned the familiar silver hue flashing across the blue.

"I ain't worried though, 'cause I know he'll always be inside of me."


End file.
